Great leaders

If you want to be a great leader,
you must learn to follow the Tao.
Stop trying to control.
Let go of fixed plans and concepts,
and the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,
the less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have,
the less secure people will be.
The more subsidies you have,
the less self-reliant people will be.

Therefore the wise say:
I let go of the law,
and people become honest.
I let go of economics,
and people become prosperous.
I let go of religion,
and people become serene.
I let go of all desire for the common good,
and the good becomes common as grass.


Tao te Ching

One Response to “Great leaders”

  1. Adam Harvey
    July 27th, 2005 08:07
    1

    This one is my favorite:

    A person comes forth to life and enters into death.
    Three out of ten are partners of life,
    Three out of ten are partners of death,
    And the people whose every movement leads them to the
    land of death because they cling to life
    Are also three out of ten.

    Now,
    What is the reason for this?
    It is because they cling to life.

    Indeed,
    I have heard that
    One who is good at preserving life
    does not avoid tigers and rhinoceroses
    when he walks in the hills;
    nor does he put on armor and take up weapons
    when he enters a battle.
    The rhinoceros has no place to jab its horn,
    The tiger has no place to fasten its claws,
    Weapons have no place to admit their blades.

    Now,
    What is the reason for this?
    Because on him there are no mortal spots.

Leave a Reply